Court and Politics in Papal Rome, 1492–1700

Gianvittorio Signorotto editor Maria Antonietta Visceglia editor

Format:Paperback

Publisher:Cambridge University Press

Published:9th Jun '11

Currently unavailable, and unfortunately no date known when it will be back

This paperback is available in another edition too:

Court and Politics in Papal Rome, 1492–1700 cover

A 2002 account of the role of the papacy in early modern European politics.

This 2002 book describes power and politics in Rome and the role of the papacy in early modern European politics. It attempts to overcome the traditional historiographical approach to the papacy during this period by focusing on the actual mechanisms of power in the papal court - political, personal, spiritual and ceremonial.This 2002 book attempts to overcome the traditional historiographical approach to the role of the early modern papacy by focusing on the actual mechanisms of power in the papal court. The period covered extends from the Renaissance to the aftermath of the peace of Westphalia in 1648 - after which the papacy was reduced to a mainly spiritual role. Based on research in Italian and other European archives, the book concentrates on the factions at the Roman court and in the college of cardinals. The sacred college came under great international pressure during the election of a new pope, and consequently such figures as foreign ambassadors and foreign cardinals are examined, as well as political liaisons and social contacts at court. Finally, the book includes an analysis of the ambiguous nature of Roman ceremonial, which was both religious and secular: a reflection of the power struggle both in Rome and in Europe.

Review of the hardback: ' … this [is an] important collection of articles … together they present a new and intriguing view of the early modern state apparatus.' The Historical Journal

ISBN: 9780521283144

Dimensions: 229mm x 152mm x 15mm

Weight: 400g

268 pages